Cuttack, Nov. 5: Lawyers across the state will cease work on November 8 and 9 to demand that the state government contribute a matching grant towards the Advocates’ Welfare Fund.

“We will protest against the state government’s apathy towards our proposal for an amendment to the Advocates’ Welfare Fund Act, 1987, to make the government’s contribution mandatory,” chairman of Odisha State Bar Council Gopal Krushna Mohanty told The Telegraph.

The State Bar Council representing nearly 46,000 lawyers of 120 Bar Associations across the state had demanded that the Advocates’ Welfare Fund Act, 1987, be amended to make government contribution mandatory and cost of welfare stamps enhanced from Rs 5 to Rs 15 in March 2010.

“The fund receives contributions of around Rs 75 lakh to Rs 80 lakh every year from lawyers at the time of entering the scheme (by paying Rs 2,000) and buying welfare stamps worth Rs 5. If the cost of welfare stamps is enhanced from Rs 5 to Rs 15 the lawyers’ contributions is expected to go up to Rs 1 crore every year,” he said.

The 1987 act of the state government is aimed to provide retirement and other benefits to the advocates.

“Though the act was made by the state legislature, no government patronage had followed in the past 25 years. In fact, the state government is yet to contribute a single paise towards the fund,” said a member of the State Bar Council.

“If the government fails to take appropriate steps, the agitation will be intensified. We will hold a rally in Bhubaneswar and then gherao members of the legislative Assembly on the first day of the winter session,” Mohanty said.